Fume control apparatus



Oct 4, 1955 s. KoRNHAUsER ETAL FUME CONTROL APPARATUS Filed June l5,1950 United States Patent O FUME CONTROL APPARATUS Saunders Komhauserand Lawrence W. Bundy, Cleveland,

Ohio, assignors to The Standard Oil Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application June 15, 1950, Serial No. 168,284 2Claims. Cl. 23-262) In some industrial operations, fumes are generatedwhich are noxious and in some cases poisonous. If discharged to theatmosphere, more or less air-pollution results, and this may becomeserious if near populous districts. By the present invention, however,it now becomes possible to control such fume nuisances, and withoutrecourse to unduly complicated and expensive equipment. Other objectsand advantages will appear from the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawings the sole figure is a semischematic illustrationof apparatus embodying the invention.

Industrial fumes may involve various kinds of components, such as fixedgases, condensible vapors, and suspended tine mist articles of liquidsand solids; and of these variously some may be water-soluble whileothers are insoluble. In the present system all of these may be takencare of.

In typical illustration, the invention may be described in accordancewith an asphalt manufacturing plant. Such a plant generates fumes whichcontain offensive sulphur compounds, vaporous hydrocarbons, irritatingoxidizel hydrocarbons and aerosol hydrocarbons and complex tarrymatters. Thus, for example: A source of fumes S is an asphalt oxidizerhaving air pipe 2 at the bottom with suiiicient surface ramificationsand perforations to distributively blow air up into a mass of heatedpetroleum residuum thereabove. Underneath is heating means of anysuitable form, as a tire tube or chamber, indicated conventionally byheater H. Above the liquid mass is a steam inlet pipe 3 which suppliessteam to blanket the space. A fume oiftake pipe 4 leads to a collectiondrum C, and in the pipe 4 is a water spray 5. A peculiarity of this isthat it sprays water upwardly, as well as down. This washes downsuspended mists, and condenses some vapors, and dissolves some matters.The water collects in the drum, and a small amount of washed down tarmatters settles on the bottom. An overflow outlet with valve 6 canpermit the water to drain to a further treating-pond if necessary or tothe sewer. Bottom settlings may be drawn off from time to time by valvedoutlet 7. From the drum a fume pipe 8 leads to a furnace F which may befired for example by gas or oil burners, and which may have baffling orcoarse checker-work as desired to provide suitable intermixing andturbulence. Here, whatever components go past the water-treating zone isso minimal and diluted out into air as to be acceptable by municipalstandards. With an operating temperature of 400-500" F. in the oxidizerS, there may be an average fume volume e. g. of 3200 cu. ft. per minutewith temperature maximum 490 F.; and at a water spray rate of around tengallons per minute the scrubbed fumes leave at a temperature of around225 and the temperature of the discharge water is about ISO- F. As afeature of the invention, the drum combination provides a versatility ofactions. Thus for example, if it is desired to shut down the tank Swhile running fumes from another to the furnace, the valve 6 is closedand water backs up to the upper overtiow level, and the drum acts as avalve. In asphalt tank arrangements heretofore it has been customary tohave an adjustable damper in the fume otftake pipe. Such dampers haveoccasioned trouble by reason of accumulation of tarry condensatethereon. The present arrangement wholly obviates this.

Similarly, with any fume source, the otftake pipe 4, 8, with interposedcollection drum C and adjustable overflow, and furnace, afford apositive and dependable arrangement for fume control.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent ofsuch, be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvention:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tankfor asphaltic petroleum stock, means for injecting air at the bottomthereof, means for supplying steam at the top, a fume pipe leading fromthe top of the tank, a water spray in said fume pipe, settling-sumpmeans and unit shut-off means combined, including a chamber with aninlet into its top from said fume pipe, an outlet in the top of saidchamber spaced from said inlet and on substantially the same liquidlevel, a liquidoverflow in said first-named fume pipe at a level abovesaid chamber, and means to open a passageway between said inlet and saidoutlet and for dood-closing such passageway, comprising a closablelateral liquid-overow in said chamber at a level below said inlet andoutlet.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination offume-generating means and a fume-conducting pipe, a water spray therein,a furnace to which said pipe leads, and interposed ahead of the furnacesettling-sump means and unit shut-olf means combined, including achamber with an inlet into its top from said fume pipe, an outlet in thetop of said chamber spaced from said inlet and on substantially the sameliquid level, a liquidoverow in said first-named fume pipe at a levelabove said chamber, and means to open a passageway between said inletand said outlet and for flood-closing such passageway, comprising aclosable lateral liquid-overflow in said chamber at a level below saidinlet and outlet.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS468,378 Wills Feb. 9, 1892 848,268 Smith Mar. 26, 1907 906,312 Shaw Dec.8, 1908 952,970 Whitmore Mar. 22, 1910 1,029,528 Bosch et al. June 11,1912 1,612,915 Haggin Jan. 4, 1927 1,684,740 Mewborne Sept. 18, 1928

1. IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF A TANKFOR ASPHALTIC PETROLEUM STOCK, MEANS FOR INJECTING AIR AT THE BOTTOMTHEREOF, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING STEAM AT THE TOP, A FUME PIPE LEADING FROMTHE TOP OF THE TANK, A WATER SPRAY IN SAID FUME PUPE, SETTLING-SUMPMEANS AND UNIT SHUT-OFF MEANS COMBINED, INCLUDING A CHAMBER WITH ANINLET INTO ITS TOP FROM SAID FUME PIPE, AN OUTLET IN THE TOP OF SIADCHAMBER SPACED FROM SAID INLET AND ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LIQUIDLEVEL, A LIQUIDOVERFLOW IN SAID WATER-NAMED FUME PIPE AT A LEVEL ABOVESAID CHAMBER, AND MEANS TO OPEN A PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN